Women in Aviation Wall of Fame:
Bessie Coleman

Bessie Coleman developed a passion for aviation after hearing about French aviation from her brothers, who served in France during the First World War. As a woman and African-American, she faced discrimination while trying to achieve her dream of flying. She was rejected from American flight schools. To learn to fly she had to go to France.

She was accepted at the Caudron Brothers’ School of Aviation in Le Crotoy, France. After training there, she received her international pilot’s license in 1921. Coleman was the first African-American woman and first self-identified Native American to hold a pilot license.

In 1922, she performed the first public flight by an African American woman. Coleman became famous for doing “loop-the-loops” and flying figure eights in the sky. She became popular both in the United States and in Europe because of her stunt flying. Beside flying itself, Coleman encouraged people to become interested in flying by giving speeches and showing films of her flying. During her touring, she also gave flight lessons.

Coleman used her position in aviation to encourage social change. She refused to perform before segregated audiences in the southern United States. She also gave talks where she encouraged African Americans and women to learn how to fly.

Despite her death at a young age, Coleman continued to inspire others to fly. Many flying clubs were named in her honour. She broke through many barriers to make her dream of flying come true and left a positive influence on aviation.